Broncos Have Yet To Open Contract Negotiations With Demaryius Thomas

Per Troy Renck of the Denver Post, the Denver Broncos have yet to open new contract negotiations with All-Pro wide receiver, Demaryius Thomas. As a member of Josh McDaniels’ final draft class of 2010, Thomas is entering his 5th year in the NFL.

His first 2 seasons were plagued by injuries and inconsistent QB play. But ever since John Elway brought Peyton Manning to Denver, Thomas has experienced a renaissance of sorts.

Over the last 2 seasons with Manning, Thomas has caught 186 balls for 2,864 yards and 24 TDs, while also setting a new Super Bowl record for receptions, with 13. This production has earned him 2 consecutive Pro Bowl nods and a 2nd team All-Pro selection.

It also has earned him a huge 2nd contract. With some team. We all hope it’s the Denver Broncos and there’s no reason to believe that it won’t be. It’s likely that negotiations have been delayed because the Broncos’ capanomics expert, Michael Sullivan, is trying to figure out how to balance new deals for the team’s core group of young, elite talent.

Players like Von Miller, who’s 5th year option was just excercised, and Julius Thomas, are also likely to command big money. That’s saying nothing of the 2nd tier priority guys like Orlando Franklin and Rahim Moore, who were both drafted in the 2nd round of the 2011 draft. The Broncos have some tough decisions to make soon.

All of these decisions must be balanced with the existing contracts of guys like Manning, Wes Welker and Ryan Clady, along with the new staples like DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib and Emmanuel Sanders. It’s complicated. Sullivan has his work cut out for him.

Fortunately for the Broncos, Elway and company have done a phenomenal job of balancing these new contracts with an outlook on the future. They have not mortgaged the future to win now. Far from it.

What type of contract can Thomas expect? Is he in the same conversation as guys like Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson, when it comes to the money? This humble writer thinks so and it’s only a matter time before he joins them as one of the highest paid receivers in the NFL. He’s already joined them from a production standpoint.

Let’s get this done, Elway!